Loan · England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Growth Guarantee Scheme (government-backed business lending)
The government guarantees part of a loan, overdraft, asset finance or invoice finance from an accredited lender, which can help a farm business borrow when it might not otherwise get finance.
- From
- British Business Bank, through accredited lenders
- How much
- Up to £2 million per business group. The lender sets the interest rate and terms.
- Who can apply
- UK businesses with turnover of £45 million or less, at least half of turnover from trading, viable and not in difficulty. Agriculture and food businesses are included.
What you’ll need
- Latest accounts
- Business plan and cash flow forecast
- Details of what the money is for
How to apply
- Find an accredited lender on the British Business Bank website
- Ask the lender for finance under the Growth Guarantee Scheme
- The lender decides; you remain 100% liable for the debt
The guarantee protects the lender, not you: you still owe the full amount. The end date was not shown on gov.uk (reports say it runs to 2030); couldn't confirm.
Similar schemes
- Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme OpenScottish Government (R100 programme) · Closes 20 November 2026A voucher towards getting a faster broadband connection installed at a home or business with slow broadband and no faster connection planned.
- Sustainable Agriculture Loan Scheme OpenDevelopment Bank of Wales, for the Welsh GovernmentLow-interest loans for on-farm renewable energy, energy efficiency and storage, slurry and nutrient management, and farm infrastructure and equipment.
- Workplace Charging Scheme (EV chargepoints) OpenOffice for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), run by DVLA · Closes 31 March 2027A voucher towards buying and fitting electric vehicle chargepoints for staff or farm fleet vehicles. You get a voucher code and give it to an authorised installer, who claims the money.
- 40% first-year allowance Open all yearHMRCDeduct 40% of the cost of new main-rate plant and machinery from profits in the first year, with the rest claimed over later years.
- Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) Open all yearHMRCDeduct the full cost of most machinery and equipment (tractors, kit, many fixtures) from your profits in the year you buy it, so you pay less tax.
- Farmers' averaging of profits Open all yearHMRCSole-trader and partnership farmers can average taxable profits over 2 or 5 years, which smooths out good and bad years and can cut the tax bill.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1, 2. Always read the official page before you apply.